George f



G. `F. SMITH.

Carriage Axle Coupling. l No. 81,115. y Patented Aug..` 18, 1868.

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@ntrhtates latrat @ti-fitter Les@ Panta v0-81,115, daad August 18, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARRIAGE-AXN; GOUPLING.

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TO ALL PERSONS TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME:

v Be it lznown that I, GEORGE F. SMIT, of Ilantsville, in thecountylof Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improved Carriage-Axle Coupling; and do hereby declare the saine to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- `Figure lis a front elevation,

Figure 2a top view,

Figure 3 a transverse' section,

Figure 4 a longitudinal section, and

Figure 5 an end elevation of a carriage front axle and fifth-wheel, or sweep, with my invention applied thereto.

In such drawings, A denotes the axle, and B thesWcep-bar, arranged over such axle.

C is the upper, and D the lower bearing-parts ofthe sweep or iifth-whe'el, they being constructed and applied to the bar B and the axle A in the usual manner.

E is the king-bolt or journal, which extends upward from the axle and through .the sweep-bar B.

The said king-bolt, the` clips `a a, and the bed-platee, I forrn or join together, so as-to be in one piece of metal, instead of. forging the king-bolt separate freni the bed-plate, and with clipsn'to extend from it,` and embrace the said plate and axle. l -I I also extend the ends of the bed-plate through' the two pairs of sweep-clips, d d, which embrace the axle,

and extend down from the lower curved barof the sweep or fifth-wheel. i

I also formthe king-bolt with a shoulder or cylindrical base, e, to extend up into a socket-piece or cup, f, extending from the upper bed-plate g, on which the sweep-barB rests. The purpose of this cup and the cylinder eis to receive the direct strain of the draught, and relieve the king-bolt therefrom, and thus greatly protect the king-bolt, and render it very much less liable to breakage while in use.

The advantage of connecting thetniddle clips with the lower bed-plate, and the king-bolt with the latter, is that the plate keeps the clips and the king-bolt from working loose on the axle, especially when thcbed-plate is extended through the other pairs of clips.

It is a well-known fact that the axle is-subject to the greatest amount of str-ain in that which is the middlel of it, or midway between the clips ofthc fifth-wheel, or where the weight of the carriage and its load more directly bears. In order tok strengthen -the axle at this point, carriage-makers have sometimes put a plate of iron near the middle of the axle, and fastened it thereto, by two or more bolts going through the axle. The holes necessary for the reception of these bolts weaken the axle, and thereby cause much of the advantage of the iron plate to bel lost. Besides, the making of such holes is a matter of labor, and, when dispensed with, is a gain in such respects. Wh-en a king-bolt has been fastened to the middlel clips alone, its continued motion and the strain on it cause the clips to wear into the sides of the axle, whereby the bolt is rendered loose, and

thrown out of its normal position. l'

My improvement of fastening the king-bolt and the clips directly to, or welding or forming them in one piece with the king-boltyn'ot only'obviates the necessity of bolt-holes through the axle, but, what is still more important, leaves the strength of the axle nn'impaired, and supports the king-bolt to better advantage than by clips alone, extended from it. By keeping the hing-bolt in its true position, its wearl will be even on its surface, and thus it will last rnuch longer. A A

I make no claim to a king-holt, made with clips to extend from` it and to embrace thc.axle`. Nor'do I claim a bed-plate separate from the king-bolt and its clips. Nor do I claim the mere extension of a bed-plate through the sweep-clips.

I elainr the combination of the bed-plate c, with clips a a joined -to it, so as to embrace the axle at its middle. o l

I also claim thebedplate e, the king-bolt E, and the middle clips a a, as joined together in one piece.

I also claim the arrangement of the' ends of the bed-plate within the clips d CZ of cach pair of the sweepclips, when such bed-plate, the middle clips, and the hing-bolt are joined together in one piece, as set forth.

I also claim the king-bolt, its cylindrical cup-base, the bed-plate, and middle clips, as joined together and applied to the axle, as set forth.

GEORGE F. SMITH. Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. Pt, HALE, Jr. 

